Bat and ?
by Jaime Hudson
Summary: An odd visitor to Gotham City soon takes Batman & Robin on a short, but wild adventure...
1. Chapter 1

**"Bat and... ?"**

The Bright Knight chased the odd, strange-looking burglar down a black-hole of a tunnel (a storm drain under Gotham City).  
Just ten paces ahead, the thief rapidly approached and soon vanished thru a bluish, glowing... portal? Yes, it would seem!

Batman tossed his trusty Bat-a-rang thru the opening of vibrating energy... When it felt like it had grabbed onto something,  
he gave it a mighty pull, but the line would not budge... not one inch! It only went in deeper... Suddenly, the line broke.  
"This is a very rare quandary of a conundrum, I must say!" he commented to himself, puzzled at this turn of events.

Back on Babylon 5, in her private and hidden suite down in Brown Section, V'lora stepped out the other side of her portable  
worm-hole. She could not use it too long, as the device tapped a nearby high-energy conduit that could be detected by station  
Security monitor personnel. She cradled the device that had followed her through - (the Bat-a-rang) - and noticed it resembled  
an Earth creature known as a 'bat'. There were similar such flying creatures on her homeworld too. And she, in fact,  
also resembled, to a fashion, the Earth creatures known as Pumas, or mountain lions... except that her fur was of  
a deep, royal purple color... and the fact that she was fully bi-pedal as well. And she was, erect, a quarter-meter  
taller than that pesky and nosey human... Ivanova. _"Me-rowww!"_ she purred. Oh how V'lora would enjoy an even  
match (a cat-fight) against that often meddlesome Ivanova... 'If only - _Yes, hmmm?_' she thought and purred.

Just a moment before she could power-off the portable generator control switch, the stranger that had been tracking  
her suddenly fell through - and out - her side of the worm-hole! 'My, my... what strange garments, if a human', she had  
thought. His helmet also resembled the head of the Earth bat creature. He right away rose up, dusted himself off,  
looked around her room... and then, he spoke: "I would deduce, that this place is nowhere near Gotham City?"

V'lora replied, obviously very much amused: "_Ha!_ You are now far, far away... from your 'Gotham City'... _and Earth!_"

Another micro-second later, just as V'lora neared the worm-hole off switch with her right paw digits, suddenly another  
strangely-dressed human came through the opening... This one was smaller (younger?) than the first uninvited 'guest',  
and this second one's unusual costume (as Earth humans go), had a very prominent, large letter/symbol 'R' on it.

Robin got up, saw Batman, then V'lora and the futuristic-looking room (dingy, but with bright colors here and there),  
and could then muster up just one word: "Groovy!"

(End of Part 1)


	2. Chapter 2

(Continued...)

Quickly, and not a second too soon, V'lora powered-off her portable worm-hole. The bluish portal then vanished into thin air...

Batman, just after Robin's arrival, saw the stolen jet-black statue - only 6.5 inches tall - sitting on a small table (a shrine?)  
The statue had immediately been reported missing, by a security night watchman on his rounds, who only saw a mere shadow of the thief,  
before he triggered the Gotham Antiquities Museum silent alarm system. The alarm signal was sent to both Police and to Batman & Robin,  
who were then not too far away, cruising the night for signs of new crime... and new criminals... in their trusty & amazing Batmobile.

The small and lovely figurine was very old, ultimately so rare... and was an ancient depiction in art, of the Egyptian goddess,  
known throughout history, as Bastet: made-up of a human-female body, with the head of a large cat. A cat-goddess, if you will.

V'lora followed the gaze of the first 'visitor'... to the Onyx statue. "Yes - I took the precious item there... and_ it would have been_  
_returned_ _to the museum_, in your Gotham City, _by early next morning_, before sunrise..." she spoke, a bit of irritation in her voice.

Robin was closer to the statue than either Batman or V'lora, and took a single step toward it... V'lora then zoomed toward him, _hissing like an ally cat!_

"Holy Halitosis, Batman!" Robin said, unhappily... "Manners now, Robin..._ We are the guests here_, and should act appropriately," Batman's swift reply.

Batman then gave a slight smile, to V'lora: "Well, madam... a theft is still a theft... even if said item is only 'borrowed' for a few hours".  
Robin by now had stepped away & crossed his arms, giving a stern look of agreement on his face, to the statement from his mentor & friend.

Batman continued: "Please, madam, if you will explain... who are you; where is this place; and why did you have need of the statue?"

Soon, in mere minutes, V'lora explained all - to this 'Batman', and his cute _but less well-endowed accomplice/subject?_ named 'Robin'.

Batman: "I see... Ms. V'lora. Robin and I will just have to take your words as 'Truth' here... This whole pickle of a predicament  
is well and far outside my jurisdiction and ken of understanding. And once, some time ago, I met and conferred with the great  
Einstein, on several matters of interest... I simply must wonder what he would make of your device - and all that has transpired?"

V'lora then offered: "I'll allow you to take back the statue - after a quick 3-D scan... and then send you, Robin, and it - _home!_"

"_And soon_..." she continued, "this whole 'pickle', as you call it, can then come to an agreeable and happy - conclusion... _Hmmm, yes?!_"  
V'lora gave a noticeable and deep purring type of sound, not too unlike Batman's on/off/on again 'love interest'... Catwoman.

"Very well... your terms are acceptable," replied Batman, knowing nothing of worm-holes, and needing her help to return to Earth.  
"Yes, Robin and I need to get back quickly, and before The Joker and the other devious denizens of Gotham City learn that  
we've gone... _missing._"

"Alright, Batman... It's just too bad that you cannot stay a little while longer," she purred as much as spoke, looking him up and down.  
"Yes, I'm certain that you and Babylon 5 Head of Security Garibaldi would surely find each other's methods of fighting crime, very, very  
_fascinating_... Hmmm, yes, indeed... _Me-rowww!"_

In just a quick few minutes, she completed the scan of the statue, powered up the worm-hole device again, then effortlessly sent Batman,  
Robin, and the missing statue of Bastet all back to where they ultimately belonged... back on 'old' Earth... and _to Gotham - just in Time!_

V'lora then mused, aloud: "Yes, Batman... go back to your quaint and semi-barbaric 'Gotham City'... Well, you surely can have at it, I say...  
But now I wonder, what exactly is a 'Joker' though?" She then caressed her own and quite rare and lovely figurine, of Lapis Lazuli, and made  
in a more precise likeness of the ancient emissary that had long, long ago left her home world for Earth... never to return again.

"Oh, royal empress 'Bastet' - if these silly Earth humans only knew what your _real purpose and divine name was_, me thinks they'd be... _amused?"_

_She purred aloud once more, then made extensive notes for her own planet's ancient historical record-holders... keepers of many, many old  
mysteries and secrets, that the rest of the known universe... even the Minbari and much older Vorlons had yet to learn of... or to understand._

Just so sad that 'Batman' - or 'Robin' - could not stay longer... It was also a bit sad that V'lora would not visit Gotham City again - as she had  
given her word not to - to Batman... She imagined that she certainly would have enjoyed a meeting with this 'Catwoman' that Batman had briefly  
described to her so well, before he went home to Earth... "Oh, home... _My Home._.. I shall see you again, and _very soon too... Hmmm?"_

V'lora then stroked the unexpected memento, of her visit to Gotham, and Batman's visit to B5... _"This Bat-a-rang (?) will look nice on my wall!"_

**THE END_... Or?_**

_(Note: this story is humbly dedicated in honor and loving memory of 'Classic TV' Batman Adam West)_


End file.
